Vehicle.



No. 814,780. l PATENTBD MAR. 13, 1.906.

0. c. GROSSE-AUSER. I

' VEHICLE.

APPLICATION EILED APLZB. 1'905.

llllllllll .vehicle are facilitated.

CHARLES C. GROSSIIAUSER, OF SHAKOPICE, MlNNESOTA.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 13, 1906.-

Appiication filed April 28. 1905. Serial No. 257,862.

To al! li/mm, it /mty concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. GROSS- HAisER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shakopee, in the county of Scott and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and uselul Improvements in Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicles or vehicle-gears; and the main objects are to provide a six-wheeled vehicle so constructed that the weight ol' the load put upon it is about equally supported by all the wheels and that the steering and propulsion of the These and other objects I-attain by the novel construction and combination of parts illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top or plan View of my improved vehicle-gear with the box or body of the vehicle only in dotted outlines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a vehicle embodying my improvements with the wheels of one sideremoved. Fig. 3 is a iront end elevation of a portion of the vehicle with one wheel-hub shown in diametricalsection. This View also represents the corresponding parts of the rear end of the vehicle. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the sprocket-wheel 'used upon the middle ol' the iront and rear axle, and Fig. 5 is an end view of the front axle and a yoke in which it is journaled.

The vehicle may be drawn` by animals or other means or may be propelled by a motor, as an automobile. v

Referring to the drawin s by reference-numerals, 1 re )resents the ront wheels, 2 the middle wheels, and 3 the hind wheels, of the vehicle. lVhen the vehicle isiintendedto be 'drawn by animals ora traetiori-engine, all the support ing wheels 1 2 3 are simply }ournaled on the ends ofthe axles 4 5 6 and the horses or other means ol' traction are hitched to the thillirons, like 7, or like 7X in Fig. 3; but when the vehicle is to -carry its own motive power' the middle wheels 2 are fixed on the axle 5, and the l'ront and rear axles carry lixed ratchetwheels 8, engaging dogs tl, pivoted in a cavity yand 15X.

in the hub 10 of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 8.- 1l is a plate covering said cavity.

The middle axle 5 is journaled in two frameblocks 12, guided between collars 13. To the rear ends of said blocks are rigidly Yfixed the bars or hoiuids 14, whose rear ends are brought together and united by a fork-shaped plate 15, pivoted at 16 to the upper and lower bars of a yoke 17, in. which the rear axle 6 is journaled. yoke 17X, likewise pivoted in the VJfork 15X, unitingthe front hounds 14X, whose rear ends are pivoted at 18 to the ,frame-blocks 12. The yokes 17 1-7 have their ends connected by crossing braces 19, which may be bars, chains, or wire ropes.

Upon the axle 5 is' secured a sprocketwheel 20, which is driven by a chain belt 21 and an engine or other motor, designated by the numeral 22m Fig'. 2`as being mounted insidethe wagon-box 23.

F rom two sprocket-wheels 24 24X, fixed on the axle 5, extend two endless chains 25 25X, driving the sprocket-wheels 26 and 26X, iixed on the axles 6 and 4, respectively. Each of said wheels 26 26X is fixed on the axle by la universal joint consisting of the ring 27, having internal tiunmons 28 in the axle and Vexternal trunnions 29 at right angles with the inner trunnions and supporting the wheel 26,

so tliat'thc axles i and 6 are at full liberty to beswung on their pivots 16 16X iii steering the vehicle, while the sprocket-wheels 26 and 267` remain in proper position l'or the chains 25 25X, the Wheels being guided between vertical bars or plates 30, lixed to the forks 15 l'Vhen the vehicle is propelled by its own motor, it is steered by any suitable lever Aor wheel mechanism (not shown) connected with either the rear or front axle by rods, like 31 in Fi 1, oraiiy other suitable connection with t e front or rear yoke, or both of them.

The box or body of the vehicle is supported upon two holsters 32 212", secured upon the hounds at such' a distance from tne front and rear axles that the load is carried about equallyby the three axles. A-slight play (not shown) is provided for in the connection between tho box and the holsters to allow for sinking and raising oi' the middle wheels when the ground is uneven. 33. represents elearings in the holsters for the chains 25 25X.

l'n the operation it will be understood that The front axle carries a similar the joints 18 allow all the sixwhecls to bear on the ground and properly support the load,

' that all the wheels help to propel the vehicle -wheels into a ditch and is almost, il not cn- -tircly, unable to get away by its own help. It

vwill also be understood that whether the vel-hicle is drawn or propelled the rods or coni nections 19 turn the front and rear axle in opposite directions, thus facilitating the turning of the vehicle, whiclris believed to be a new fcaturein automobiles. It will further be understood that when the vehicle, as an automobile, is to move backward or turn none of the wheels need drag on the ground, as the four corner-wheels are Vfree to revolve rearwardly on the axles, the spring-pressed dogs 9 playing over the teeth of the ratchetwheels 8.- z

Among other mechanical variations the hounds 14 may be journaled on the axle 5 instead of to the blocks 12.

.Having thus described the invention, what I claim, andhdesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An automobile having three axles with six wheels arranged to support equallythe weight of the vehicle, andl means for driving all of said wheels i-n unison, the front and rear wheels having ratchet-wheel and dog connection with the axles to allow rearward motion ofthe wheels on the axles.

2. An automobile comprising a frame, a yoke pivoted at its middle to swing horiiontally 1n the end ol' the frame, a steeringaxle journaled in the ends of the yoke, a wheel mounted 'bya universal joint upon the middle of the axle, guiding means for holding said wheel always in longitudinal direction of the ree vehicle, a motor on the vehicle and means connecting the motor with said Wheel, and means for swinging the yoke in steering.

An automobile comprising a frame, a yoke pivoted at its middle to swing horizontally in the end of the-frame, a steering-axle journaled in the ends oi the yoke, a wheel mounted by a. universal joint upon the middle ol the axle, guiding means for holding said wheel always in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a motor on the vehicle and means corn'iecting the motor with said wheel,v and means for swinging the yoke in'steering; said connecting means consisting of a chain belt and sprocket-teeth on the driving and driven wheel.

4. A vehicle comprising three axles and six supporti11g-wheels, one at each end off the axles, a 'ramemade up of two sections, one section resting on the middle axle and one of the end axles, the other section being pivot ally secured tothe lirst section by a verticallyswinging joint and having its other end supported by the other end axle, and means for supporting a load upon said frame.

A vehicle comprising three axles and six supporting-wheels, one at each end of the axles, a frame made up of two sections, one section resting on the middle axle and one of the end axles, the other section being pivotally secured to the iirst section by a verticallyswinging joint and having its other end. snpported by the other end axle, and means for supporting a load upon said frame, said frame having a longitudinal play in its connection with the load-supporting means.

In testimony whereof l aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. GROSSHAUSER. Vitnesses: i

' EDWARD HoENcK.

J AMES MICHALE. 

